If you were arrested for DUI manslaughter in Fort Lauderdale, you might be struggling with knowing what to do next or who to reach out to.
Facing a criminal charge can be incredibly scary and intimidating, and with a DUI manslaughter charge you could even be dealing with guilt or trauma as a result of the incident. If you are facing a DUI manslaughter charge, you need to act quickly in order to continue living your life and moving past what happened. Hiring an experienced South Florida DUI manslaughter lawyer is a great first step towards protecting your future from a felony DUI conviction. Get in touch with an expert DUI attorney to get started.
What is a DUI Manslaughter Crime in South Florida?
DUI stands for Driving Under the Influence of alcohol or drugs. Under Florida Law, a DUI is proved by a person’s “normal faculties” being impaired or if a person has an unlawful blood alcohol or breath alcohol level.
DUI manslaughter includes the above definition but also includes the death of any human being or even an unborn child carried in the womb. DUI Manslaughter could result from hitting another vehicle or hitting a pedestrian or bicyclist and causing the death of another individual. If you are involved in an accident with a pregnant woman and she does not die but her unborn child dies as a result of the incident, you could still be charged with DUI manslaughter in Fort Lauderdale.
CONSEQUENCES OF A DUI MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE
If you have been arrested and/or charged with DUI manslaughter, immediate action is necessary to help you get out of the situation you are in. DUI manslaughter in Florida is a second-degree felony. This means that, depending on the facts of your case, you could be facing up to 15 years of imprisonment, probation, or a combination of prison time and time on probation. You could also be facing a hefty amount of court costs, fines, restitution, and more.
Additionally, if you are convicted of DUI manslaughter, there is a 4 year mandatory minimum prison sentence. That means that you MUST serve 4 years in prison if you are convicted of the charge. The best way to avoid this is a good plea deal negotiated with the prosecutor.
If you are convicted of a felony, you are facing other losses of freedom such as losing the right to vote, the right to bear arms, and the right to government assistance (such as food stamps).
The Assistant State Attorney, judge, and jury are essentially in charge of the severity of your consequences. Prosecutors and judges weigh a variety of factors in deciding what an appropriate plea offer is such as the severity of the offense, your prior criminal history, your blood alcohol level at the time of the incident, etc. DUI manslaughter could be anything from causing the loss of an unborn child, but not the individual carrying the child themselves, or it could be the causing the actual death of another individual.
There’s a large range of possible situations where you could be arrested and charged for this crime. A big issue with being charged with DUI manslaughter is that regardless of the facts of the case, you’re still being charged with a DUI at the bare minimum which still comes with hefty consequences. That’s why you need an experienced South Florida DUI manslaughter attorney to fight your case.
DUI MANSLAUGHTER CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY IN FORT LAUDERDALE
In order to get the best possible outcome in your case, you need to hire a local DUI manslaughter attorney who has experience beating DUIs. Someone who knows the ins-and-outs. Facing a second-degree felony and possibly being convicted to a minimum of 4 years in prison is a risk no one wants to take. Here at Rossen Law Firm, we have years of trial experience, deposition experience, and plea negotiation experience, as well as a long history of working alongside the police and Assistant State Attorneys on your case.
We take the threat of losing your personal liberties and freedoms seriously.
So what do we do to make sure you aren’t affected by this one mistake for the rest of your life? First, we talk with you to find out what exactly happened and what you want to see happen with your case. We depose the police, witnesses, and anyone else who may have seen what happened and we ask the right questions to get the answers we need to help us fight your case. We talk with the prosecutors to advocate for you and get them to see that you’re a person with your own concerns and liberties, and to negotiate a plea deal that benefits you.
Most importantly, we maintain wide-open lines of communication with you, the prosecutors, and the courts to make sure we’re all on the same page with where the case is at and where we want the case to go. We know how to win DUI cases, and we’re ready to fight for you and your future.
DUI Manslaughter Defenses
- Valid explanations for your appearance or behavior: If something as traumatic as a death occurred in front of you, it’s quite likely that you’ll be emotional and maybe even begin to cry. What if, because you were crying and your eyes were red and shiny, the police thought you were drunk? This is an argument that we can use in our benefit.
- Causation: This is a harder and less likely argument for us to make. If there’s a question of causation (did the accident/incident actually cause the other individual’s death?) then we’ll put forth that argument in front of the judge.
Set Up a Free Strategy Session with a Fort Lauderdale DUI Manslaughter Attorney
The attorneys at Rossen Law Firm have worked thousands of DUI cases from start to finish. We know what we’re doing and we’re ready to make every possible argument and motion needed to get a resolution that’s appealing to you for your case.
To speak with our experienced South Florida DUI manslaughter lawyers, please call us today to schedule a FREE STRATEGY SESSION to see what we can do for you and your charges. We are ready and willing to work for you and your case as soon as possible. Remember, the sooner the better.
